AN: Changed the plot idea again but hope you guys like this one 😊 Thank you for returning to this fic

Chapter Three – Ropes and Nets

Ariel grinned as she turned in the mirror looking at the necklace she was wearing. She put a hand to it and smiled. She didn't want to say that she would have loved anything from the mainland that she couldn't get under the ocean because Eric had attempted to be thoughtful to what her likes were. She wanted to know if he would listen to her interest in humans themselves but she was sure that he would. Besides, she didn't need anything else but these. Eric had chosen these for her and that made them one of her most precious possessions, that and the comb that her mother had left for her.

As she pushed her hair up to get a better look at the necklace, she saw Adella swimming over to her. She bowed her head as she placed a hand over the pearls.

"Those are gorgeous, did you get them from your boyfriend?" she asked as she tried to get a closer look at them. Ariel blushed hearing that word and hoped that Eric would still approve of it being used by her sisters. She wanted to marry him and although he had been bewitched, he had attempted to marry Vanessa when he had first met her. No. That had been because he had been under a spell, royal weddings took months of preparation, Sebastian had told them that.

"Yes, he wanted to give me a gift," Ariel said before her eyes widened and she worried what her daddy would say.

"Well, they are gorgeous," Adella announced loudly and a couple of Ariel's other sisters swam over to take a look at them. Ariel froze as she saw Attina. She turned to her oldest sister and Attina sighed.

"It's that human, isn't it?" she asked and Ariel froze. She knew that they were all aware of how much their father didn't like the idea of interspecies dating. Attina sighed again and put a hand to her forehead, shaking her head before sighing. "Well, he did risk his life to save us from Ursula," she said and everyone flinched hearing that name. "He may be the only human that Father approves of."

"You mean that…" Ariel asked hopefully. Eric had risked a lot in order to save their kingdom, hopefully her sisters were right and Eric had passed whatever test he needed to so that the two of them could be together. There was a sound at the door of their bedroom and Ariel saw Attina go to answer the door. Ariel froze as she saw Triton with a black haired, fresh faced, adult merman at his side. His tail had flecks of gold to it which meant that though he wasn't royalty, he was at least nobility.

"Hello," Attina said as she turned to face the young merman and turned back to the room where four of her sisters were trying to catch a glimpse of who had accompanied Triton. "Good morning, Daddy," she said with a slight bow out of respect.

"I came here to see Ariel," Triton said before gesturing to the merman who Ariel had to admit had some similarities in appearance to Eric but since he wasn't human, he couldn't be nearly the same in terms of his personality. "I thought that I could talk you into going on a date with this eager young merman," he said and Ariel took a deep breath in.

"Daddy, I can't," she told him and the merman blinked at her confused. "I'm sorry. There is somebody else that I'm in love with and who I know loves me and -"

"Is human, likely to cast you aside when he finds his boat has sprung a leak," Triton said and Ariel's eyes widened. No. Eric didn't need to take a boat to see her, she knew that he couldn't swim as well as a merman could but she would come to him.

"Daddy, he risked his life to save us, to save me. He managed to stop you from losing your rule. He protected me. I love him. I'm not going to keep myself from loving him," Ariel said passionately before turning to the younger merman. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that you have a kind personality but I can't form attraction to you, maybe one of my sisters," she gestured where some of them seemed very eager.

"Excuse me," Ariel said before swimming off and Triton turned to look at her.

"What if you were to get caught? What if someone were to see you?" he asked and Ariel ignored those questions. She knew that if someone were to find out about her, Eric would protect her. She placed her trust in him wholeheartedly.

…

…

Just before sunset, Eric paced the beach with Max watching him. He had put on shorts and a loose shirt despite the fact that it was night and had removed his boots. He also had brought some warmer clothes to change into were he to go into the water tonight. He hoped that she would still allow him that honor of holding her.

As soon as he heard the splash of her tail hitting the water, Eric turned and ran into the water. He smiled as she came closer to him and he dropped onto his knees so that he could hold her. Despite his yearning to hold her throughout the day, Eric just felt lucky to have her in the moments that he did. He was loved by a mermaid, a dream that many sailors had.

"Ariel," he breathed in as he held her close to him, she placed her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply. They lived in different worlds and would be considered different species but he was still in love with her, able to protect her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Eric," she breathed in as if that word was the oxygen that she was craving. "Thank you for coming tonight," she told him and Eric laughed, he tucked some of her red hair behind her ear. He had dated before, that was for sure, but he had never loved someone in the way he loved her. Hopefully there would be a chance to go out at sea again and to spend even more time with her. No. That was bad. That involved other people, they would see her and he didn't know if he could protect her although he would risk his life doing so.

"I will always come for you. I'm the luckiest man in the world to be with you," Eric said before he heard a boat from the distance and saw a palace guard on it. He saw it draw closer to Ariel and then heard a boat from the other direction. Behind him he could sense footsteps.

His mother had said sunrise. She had told him that she would give him time to prepare. He pulled Ariel closer to him and he heard her heart beat painfully in her chest. She was terrified as they surrounded them. Eric took a deep breath in before trying to search for a way out, Ariel's tail kept slapping the water with how nervous she was.

"Prince, step away from the creature," one of the guards said and Eric felt his anger flow through him. Creature? She was a mermaid. Maybe she wasn't human exactly but she was far from being a 'creature'.

Eric glared at them before spotting an empty space. "I'm so sorry," he apologized quickly to the frightened Ariel. He tugged her hand, beginning to swim to the safe spot, when they saw what was happening, the guards followed after him. Eric used his remaining breath to kiss Ariel's lips before swimming up to the surface and giving her a chance to get away.

Eric felt a net getting thrown over him and rope binding him but as he saw the waves in the distance, he knew he had gotten her safely away from him. He tried to catch his breath as Max attacked anyone who he could to get them from hurting his master. Eric was thrown in the net gently onto the sand where he still spluttered out water. He stared at his hands and closed his eyes before seeing his mother's feet. He slowly got up so that he could look her in her eyes. His glare was sharp showing the pain, protectiveness, and anger that he was going through.

"You said you'd give me until sunrise," he said in a dark manner.

"As if you would allow that fish to come back at sunrise," the queen said and Eric saw Max pulling the ropes from him. He pet the sheepdog on the head affectionately.

"You didn't even give me a chance to ask her," Eric said as he got up on his feet. "Mother, admit it, you have absolutely no idea what she would have done," he said before looking at Max. He turned to the ocean heartbroken and though it destroyed him inside to do so, he had to wish that she wouldn't come back. He turned to go back to the palace. He would leave them. He couldn't stay in a family where they wouldn't respect his choice to be with Ariel. Maybe his life would be different but he wanted the girl he had fallen madly in love with. He would risk anything to be with her. Aside from Max, he would give up anything to be with her.

…

…

Eric had left the previous night. He had put on some less fashionable clothing that hid his royal status and had put on a fisherman's cap and would try to grow a beard out to keep himself from being recognized. He went to the water's edge with Matt following him, a bag over his shoulder holding only the minimum items for his survival.

He bent down to the waters edge and looked at the paper which he had put inside of the bottle. Hopefully, she would find it.

My dearest Ariel,

Words can not begin to describe how deeply sorry I am for what happened last night. I love you with all of my heart which is why I ask that you do not return to this spot. I have left my home and will relocate. I'm not sure if this message will find you but I hope it does. I will send you another when I have found my new home. I will wait for you, princess. I might be a poor man by then but if you will have me, I will wait for you. If that is asking too much though then please know what I care most about is your happiness.

Until the next time we can see each other again,

I love you

Your Eric.

He sighed before letting it go into the ocean, he watched it bob away before patting his leg for Max to follow him. Hopefully she would still take him back even without his royal status. He might return to the palace one day but he couldn't after the previous night. "Let's go, Max," he said as the dog came up to him. Eric took one last look over the ocean before walking away. If any luck was on his side, that message would find her.

End of Chapter Three

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two

Andrea, canisfloria, CuteEnough2StopYourHeart, Guest, Guest91, jmschocolate, marati2011

AN: I have a cute idea for Chapter Four so I might update a little quicker but no promises

AN2: Sorry to advertise but if anyone is looking for a Disney subscription box or one time box I subscribe to two so check them out, Bibbidi Bobbidi Box, and Magic Launch Bay. Just plugging because I love the companies so much.